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Identifying a Body
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Episode
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15
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Airdate
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January 13, 2002
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Season
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2
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Channel
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Synopsis[]
Brendon's attempt to get money for Mr. Lynch's walkathon are foiled by McGuirk's road trip to identifying a dead body. Meanwhile, Paula asks for a raise.
Plot[]
At school, the annual walkathon for the homeless is coming up and Mr. Lynch is hoping to collect more money than the fifth graders, much to the derision of the 4th grade class. Coming back home, Brendon collects $50 from his mother Paula, which really surprises him considering their single parent household, though Paula is anticipating a raise due to her tenure at the local college, which she hopes will land to get the funds required to renovate their kitchen.
At PE, Brendan and Melissa kick the ball back and forth while they debate about winning the upcoming walkathon. As they counterpoint each other, Coach McGuirk lets the kids know that he will be out to identify his dead uncle's body, and asks if one of the kids would like to accompany him. Inevitably, Brendon ends up going with him to ditch school. While they ride and make small talk, Coach McGuirk notices the walkathon money Brendan has been lugging around with him and asks if he can pitch in some money for gas. Eventually, this snowballs into Brendan purchasing everything during their trip to treat him and Coach McGuirk, going from fuel for the car, sodas for the road, bagels to snack on, to trips to the mall for some clothes shopping and eventually a restaurant. Brendan eventually doesn't mind. Meanwhile, the kids at PE who have stayed to practice after school dwindle to where a few remain after dark, hoping their coach will come to dismiss them so they can go home. Walter and Perry don't mind however and loudly embrace each other while announcing they don't care.
Finally making it to the morgue, McGuirk finally is able to identify his uncle's corpse. As the two lay on top of McGuirk's car, contemplating what has past as they watch the stars, Coach apologizes for bringing Brendan for the somewhat bizarre journey and witnessing a deceased person, though Brendan states that he doesn't really mind it. Making an analogy about how his long estranged uncle's life that he never really knew is like the curiosity of a supposed bad movie, the two get the idea to top the night with a movie, watching the B movie Farmageddon at the theater. Asking Brendan to make a run to the concession stand for some popcorn, Brendan realizes he has run out of money to turn into the walkathon.
The next day, Mr. Lynch is somewhat disappointed with Brendan, as he merely brings in two rocks to guise the fact that he supposedly didn't get any money. Mr. Lynch nevertheless lets this pass and gives Brendan $10 to continue his petty crusade against the fifth grade class. At practice, Brendan tags along with McGuirk to his uncle's lawyer to hear out his will, hoping he will get compensation for the other night. Coach McGuirk promises to pay him back with his uncle's inheritance, but he learns that all he has been left with is an old sausage. Later, Brendan tries to collect more money by panhandling in a rather shady part of town, eventually garnering the ire of an actual homeless man who claims he has taken his corner, and tries to take Brendan's earnings, but is eventually fended off. Brendan then makes a movie with Jason to vent his feelings on the events that have past, the premise being about a rather shady priest coming to try and comfort a dying man who has been crushed by a destroyed wall who confesses that he once stole money from a charity in the past, all the while fleecing and embarrassing him in his last moments.
Meanwhile, Paula tries to prepare for the proposal of her pay raise with Brendan, hoping to appeal with the poor single female mother sympathy card. Much to her luck however, her eccentric and rather overbearingly obtuse boss, Mr. Lindenson, gets caught up in a freak accident involving him breaking all the fingers in his right hand by accidentally slamming his car door shut, his car keys being in his car as his doors are locked, his car's brakes failing to hold the car as it is parked atop of a hill, his car then dragging him along down the hill into the back of another occupied car, and being in the way of a girl biking and totally unaware of him as she adjusts her helmet, running over and crash landing on top of him.
The next day as Paula is to make her proposal, Mr. Lindenson has been released from the hospital, completely dressed in bandages and casts from yesterday's events. To both her concern and shock, and Mr. Lindenson's extremely downplayed sarcasm, Mr. Lindenson's condition has him passive aggressively want her to be confident in her proposal. As soon as word is made of Paula wanting a raise, Mr. Lindenson then completely shoots down the proposal and repeatedly adamantly denies her request. The meeting then devolves into a condescending tirade, Mr. Lindenson mockingly remarking upon Mrs. Small's quotas and treating the entire discussion like a joke. He finishes the conversation by halfheartedly assuring that, though it will most likely not happen, he will try to appeal to the board to have the self defense class next door try to adjust the volume problem she is having with them.
Come the following afternoon, Paula's lesson at her creative teaching class is completely drowned out by the self defense classes' demonstrations, and she is about to leave her rather lousy week at work. Mr. Lindenson then runs into her in the hallway, and tries to apologize to her for his attitude, being exacerbated by his currently painful medical condition. Bringing up the topic of their meeting earlier in the week, Paula interjects the subject of the raise, but Mr. Lindenson completely obfuscates ignorance of the topic at every chance he gets. Mr. Lindenson then brings up the topic of the self defense classes' volume problem during her classes, and is sorry that he could not do anything about that. He then gives her a large container of ravioli, which was his lunch earlier that day. Though she doesn't want it, Mr. Lindenson wants her to have it as a sort of compensation, though admits that it is likely hospital food. Paula then leaves for home, learning the hard lesson to not ask her boss for anything while they are in a position worse than her.
That weekend, Paula makes a surprise breakfast for Brendan in bed on Saturday morning, to his delight. As he looks at his alarm clock however, he realizes he has overslept and has missed out on the walkathon. As the phone rings, Brendan then tosses his handset out of the window. Much to his intuitions, on the other line is Mr. Lynch, who is fuming with frustration and disappointment (in his hurt pride) that Brendan's inactions has lead up to him not making it to the walkathon, and thus, beating the fifth grade class. He leaves however with the payphone returning his quarter.
As their Saturday afternoon is a bit glum due to the events of that week, Brendan realizes he still has the walkathon money he got by panhandling and offers to treat his mother and the homeless man he met the other day to a movie. Much to his surprise, the homeless man walks out in disappointment over Farmageddon and loosens up his supposed dismembered legs, skateboarding away, showing him to be a freeloader.
Coach McGuirk on the other hand, being left with the vintage sausage his late uncle willed to him, is trying to make the best out of an awkward situation. He tries to sell the sausage to Ken Addleburg at his current job at a halal butcher shop, but with the selling price at 6 dollars most, Coach's bargaining has him lose out. His weekend ends with him having no food other than the sausage, forcing him to cook it to eat. Derisively mocking how old it is, upon serving and sampling, Coach is astounded and surprised that this is the best sausage he has ever eaten in his life. Ken, as his dinner guest, ends with a shot towards him, hoping Coach will save some for him.
Cast[]
- Brendon Small — Brendon Small
- Melissa Robbins — Melissa Bardin Galsky
- Coach John McGuirk / Jason Penopolis — H. Jon Benjamin
- Paula Small — Janine Ditullio
Crew[]
to be added
References, Notes & Trivia[]
- In an interview with Brendon Small, he states that this was one of the episodes he thought was stupid.
- In the same interview, Brendon also says that there was a line that was cut with McGurk saying "No, no, no - That's my friend." instead of saying he'd kill himself if Brendon was his son.
- Repeated Line:
Brendon: Look i'll get the (blank), but that's it. - Arnold Lindenson's car runs into the same people who hit Brendon in the season one episode, Law and Boarder and a biker is involved as well.
- Farmageddon, the movie that Brendon and Coach McGuirk were seeing is a reference to the 1998 film, Armageddon.
Movies Within The Show[]
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DVD Releases[]
This episode was released on the season two DVD set on May 31, 2005.